Alibaba Just Unveiled One of China’s Most Advanced Chips:
Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. unveiled a new server chip that’s based on advanced 5-nanometer technology, marking a milestone in China’s pursuit of semiconductor self-sufficiency.
The Chinese tech giant’s newest chip is based on micro-architecture provided by the SoftBank Group Corp.-owned Arm Ltd., according to a statement Tuesday. Alibaba, which is holding its annual cloud summit in Hangzhou, said the silicon will be put to use in its own data centers in the “near future” and will not be sold commercially, at least for now.
With the pandemic fueling increasing demand for cloud services, tech giants worldwide are increasingly seeking ever-more powerful and energy efficient semiconductors to gain an edge. Alibaba’s server chip is one of the most advanced by a Chinese firm yet, as it joins global rivals like Amazon.com Inc. and Google in gradually replacing silicon from traditional chipmakers like Intel Corp. and Advanced Micro Devices Inc. with products custom-designed for their data centers and workloads.
[...] Known as Yitian 710, the Arm-based server chip is the third semiconductor introduced by the e-commerce giant since 2019, following an artificial intelligence chip as well as one used for internet-of-things.
(Score: 3, Touché) by takyon on Wednesday October 20 2021, @10:02AM (6 children)
Still a little Strait to cross before self-sufficiency.
[SIG] 10/28/2017: Soylent Upgrade v14 [soylentnews.org]
(Score: 4, Informative) by Mojibake Tengu on Wednesday October 20 2021, @10:34AM (5 children)
TSMC has two fabs in continental China, FAB-16 and FAB-10. But only one fab in continental USA, FAB-11.
https://www.tsmc.com/english/aboutTSMC/TSMC_Fabs [tsmc.com]
Now, someone please teach me something about pretended hostility between two kinsmen clans stratagem.
Respect Authorities. Know your social status. Woke responsibly.
(Score: 3, Informative) by takyon on Wednesday October 20 2021, @10:49AM (4 children)
It ain't "5nm". I think it's 28 in Nanjing [taiwannews.com.tw], and some trash made on 200mm wafers in Shanghai.
[SIG] 10/28/2017: Soylent Upgrade v14 [soylentnews.org]
(Score: 3, Insightful) by RamiK on Wednesday October 20 2021, @12:18PM (3 children)
That 200mm trash a.k.a the supply chain shortage...
compiling...
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday October 20 2021, @02:31PM (2 children)
If you don't need the smaller feature size--and it's mostly high performance CPUs that need it (faster, can be lower power with sophisticated software to manage the CPU)--then the larger feature size is better. It is more physically robust and cheaper, if produced using an old factory.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday October 20 2021, @03:52PM
That's what they say in tech, older is better.
(Score: 2, Interesting) by RamiK on Wednesday October 20 2021, @11:13PM
While I've argued against calling it trash, I'm not so sure about the 300mm wafers being more robust or cheaper: https://www.eetimes.com/shift-from-8-wafer-fabs-to-12-could-ease-ic-shortages/ [eetimes.com]
I suspect in the next couple of years most of the old 200mm factories will shutdown*. But until then, they'll continue pumping out good RF and PMICs components targeting fairly modern applications simply because those still get the same job done at the same package sizes.
Btw, for some bonus trivia, from headphones jacks and IoT to USB3 and USB4 power delivery, all the weird
shittrends can be traced back to ported designs adding (more room for crap) and losing (different patents) random features when going from 200mm to 300mm. Something worth keeping in mind when trying to figure out why the hell would anyone put a RISC-V core in their soldering iron: https://pine64.com/product/pinecil-smart-mini-portable-soldering-iron/ [pine64.com]*200mm to 300mm isn't just retooling a few lines. It switched the whole process from manual labor to a nearly fully automated production so the whole physical building is abandoned as the lines are being gradually shutdown and the workers are transferred to the new facilities / laid off.
compiling...
(Score: 5, Touché) by Runaway1956 on Wednesday October 20 2021, @10:11AM (5 children)
Well, of course not. Keep it in house initially, while you work on exploits. Then, keep it in country, so your country men can find exploits. Finally, release it world wide, commercially, so that you can root any system using it.
That may not be the way Jack Ma did business, but Winnie the Pooh did remind Ma that he only exists on Pooh's sufferance.
(Score: 3, Interesting) by epitaxial on Wednesday October 20 2021, @06:43PM (4 children)
Living in the USA I'd rather by spied on by Winnie The Poof than Uncle Sam.
(Score: 1, Troll) by Runaway1956 on Wednesday October 20 2021, @07:09PM (1 child)
You may change your mind when the Chinese Mossad doesn't knock on your door. Winnie the Poof? You're on the radar now!
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday October 21 2021, @04:46AM
Who do you think currently has backdoor access to 80-90 percent of the x86 market?
Hint for ya: Intel ME is wholly developed in Israel now. At best the US is sharing joint custody of the signing keys for essential the entire planets desktop, server, and industrial management computers with Israel/Mossad. And if you attempt to bring this up you're Anti-Semitic, because rational discussions on the dangers of an international chokepoint on digital security should be ignored. Particularly when it's sandwiched between the technical on one side and the highly influential entertainment industry on the other, pushing 'drm' from one side and 'security' from the other, while maintaining exploitability at the intersection.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday October 21 2021, @02:51AM (1 child)
You see the danger before you but not one bigger one coming and choose the latter. Be careful what you choose, especially if you have kids, they may suffer more tomorrow than the you of today.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday October 22 2021, @06:54PM
(Score: 1, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday October 20 2021, @03:13PM (3 children)
i wonder, if they sit together long hours, maybe even after dark, disusing where to put this or that trace on the future chip and maybe even have sleepless nights pondering the best arrangement ... do they actually think about what OS it's going to run or what?
what exactly do they SEE it being used for and i don't mean "server" but "code"?
do actual computer operating systems exist that are used only internally by a company, have no heritage to any mainstream operating system? is that a real thing?
(Score: 3, Interesting) by takyon on Wednesday October 20 2021, @03:38PM (1 child)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goobuntu [wikipedia.org]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GLinux [wikipedia.org]
Google has used its own OSes internally, but not with "no heritage".
They are also working to replace Linux with Fuchsia [wikipedia.org] based on the Zircon kernel.
TPUs are used as accelerators, so they are controlled by some other chip.
[SIG] 10/28/2017: Soylent Upgrade v14 [soylentnews.org]
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday October 20 2021, @10:07PM
thx reply.
(Score: 1, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday October 21 2021, @12:55AM
It will run GNU/Linux, like all of Alibaba's existing infrastructure. Like nearly every company with a large online presence e.g., Amazon, Google, Facebook, mail.ru, baidu, tiktok,twitter, (Netflix is an outlier and uses Freebsd, but also linux, etc.). There is really only one OS used to power the Internet (including servers, storage, switches and routers and also all of the super computers used for AI training), GNU/Linux.
(Score: 4, Interesting) by linkdude64 on Wednesday October 20 2021, @11:44PM (2 children)
How China basically just STOLE ARM's IP? Fscking insanity on the global stage - no mean tweets, though! :D
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday October 21 2021, @02:55AM (1 child)
China never steals stuff, nor can they do any wrong. The only wrong that can be done is the one against China.
Their reality distortion ray is bigger than any known one in existence and is getting stronger every single day. Every country in Asia that doesn't have a big backing from super powers like the US+UK are already living in this alternate reality even if they pretend they're not China's little b....
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday October 21 2021, @05:30PM
The most important United States federal politicians are either directly on China's payroll or else in a "legitimate" joint business venture. US big business is similarly in cahoots with China. Don't expect America to stand up to the CHICOMs.